


a bouquet of flowers taped to the door

by sleepymoon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, First Meetings, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:51:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2544875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepymoon/pseuds/sleepymoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not that Dean didn't like his roommates.</p><p>Actually, he was pretty fond of them most of the time... except when they started acting like little shits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a bouquet of flowers taped to the door

**Author's Note:**

> A special thank you to Jess for looking this over ❤

 

It's not that Dean didn't like his roommates.

Actually, he was pretty fond of them most of the time... except when they started acting like little shits. One day, they all but dragged him away from a re-run of Doctor Sexy M.D. to enthusiastically inform him that a new guy had just moved in the apartment next to theirs. Sam suggested cheerily that they should try to be good neighbors and bring him something nice to make him feel welcome. Dean just glared at him.

Charlie cuffed him lightly on the back of his neck, telling him to quit with the grumpy attitude already, as Kevin made a quick beeline for the kitchen and returned with a six-pack of beers. Then they all proceeded to gang up on him as per usual, 'cause apparently he was a) the eldest, b) the one who forgot to run supplies in the first place leaving them with nothing but beer and leftovers, and c) – the lamest of the reasons – the only one out of the four of them who was still pitifully single.

 

'Seriously, I saw him yesterday, he's your type! You could totally play the card of the conscientious neighbor! Go and introduce yourself, at least. And maybe, you know, have some hot action with the hot neighbor,' Charlie insisted as Dean rolled his eyes and made faces at her the whole time. 'He's into boys, too!'

'How can you possibly know that? You didn't even _talk_ to the guy!'

'Dude, come on! Give me some credit, I figured out you're bi before _you_ did!'

Dean's ears colored slightly.

'Whatever,' he huffed, looking away, 'Why should I care.'

 

(Granted, his breakup with Lisa had been a particularly nasty one, but that didn't mean he was _desperate_ to be back on the market, no matter what everyone else wanted to think.)

'Come on, Dean, _please!_ Trust me on this.'

'No, thanks. I think I'll pass.'

'Aw. You're just no fun.'

 

Later, when he went in the kitchen to make himself a sandwich, he found a sticky note attached to the fridge, which read ''Grow a pair and go get him, tiger!'' with a little winky face. Dean sighed, closing his eyes and bumping his forehead against the fridge's door. He wasn't gonna do it.

He _wasn't._

 

*****

 

Okay, well, possibly he was. Damnit.

He stood there, in front of the closed door, pondering his options. He could just leave the beer on the doormat and run away. Which would have been more than a little creepy, for sure. And then, even if he wouldn't admit it to a living soul, he _was_ a little curious to see what this dude looked like. With a deep breath, he raised his hand and rang the doorbell. Maybe their neighbor was a twink with acne and crooked teeth, and he was going to kill Charlie, he was going to–

The door opened inward and... Oh, shit. He was going to buy Charlie a new tablet because shit shit _shit,_ this guy was ridiculously handsome.

Hair black and unruly, lovely scruff, chapped, plump lips, and eyes as blue as the morning sky.

 

Dean was gaping rather inelegantly by then, and the other man was frowning at him, squinting his eyes in clear suspicion.

Dean struggled very hard to regain some brain functions, and finally managed to flash him a grin.

 

'Hi. I'm Dean,' he held up the six-pack and was about to add his welcome when Blue Eyes' mouth twisted in a tight grimace.

'And I am not interested,' the guy said. The next thing he knew, the door was slamming shut right in his face.

He stood there, floored, his right arm still half-raised in the air, gaping like a fish.

 

 

By the time he got back in his room, he was literally fuming in outrage. What an _asshole. What an unfairly gorgeous asshole._

He flung himself on the bed, covering his whole head with the pillow.

' _Trust us,_ Dean. _What could go wrong_ , Dean. See if I ever do something nice for a stranger again!'

 

*****

 

 

The next morning, he was still mildly upset about the whole door-slammed-shut-in-his-face thing, and left the apartment very early to avoid any confrontation with the others. He put on his leather jacket and grabbed the Impala's keys, set on going for a long drive out of town to calm his nerves. He locked the front door, got on the street, and he was just considering the merits of figuring out which one was the guy's car and egging it when he saw him.

Blue Eyes, his back leaning against the wall, a trenchcoat thrown over his shoulders, a cup of Starbucks and a paper-bag in his hands.

What the heck was he _doing_ here, anyway?

Dean's face hardened, determined to pass him as if he hadn't even been there, when he heard a voice call after him, just his name, tentative but deep at the same time.

_'Dean?'_

He considered pretending not to hear him and just keep on walking his way, but then he thought 'whatever', and he turned on his heels, walking back a few steps so that he came to stand right in front of him. Blue Eyes seemed lost for words, his eyes wide at Dean's unexpected closeness.

'What?' Dean barked out impatiently, because he wasn't going to make a fool of himself twice.

The guy jumped a little, and promptly extended the coffee and the paper-bag towards him.

Dean took them warily, because, _uh, he wasn't exactly expecting that._

 

'I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was inexcusable of me.'

'Well, _uh_ ,' Dean blurted out, taken aback, and shrugged a little, 'It was a little rude. I guess everyone is entitled to a bad day, though.'

'It's not like that,' Blue Eyes replied, and it might have been Dean's imagination, but the guy looked like he was blushing, 'My brother Gabriel had told me he was going to hire a stripper for me to... ah, _''_ christen my new apartment _''_ , I believe he said,' – yes, he was definitely blushing –.

Dean let the new information sink in, then his eyes widened and he burst out laughing.

'What. Wait. You mean... you thought I was a _stripper?_ '

 

Blue Eyes shrugged, looking away in embarrassment, 'Well, you have the looks for it,' he mumbled, 'And I wasn't expecting anyone else, so. Yeah, I assumed... but then I called my brother, and after he stopped cackling in my ear he also assured me he hadn't, in fact, hired any strippers, and- well, you can imagine how mortified I was, when... when I realized my mistake.'

Dean couldn't stop snickering, because, well, the whole thing was kinda priceless.

'Nah, man, it's fine. It's even flattering, I guess. And plus you brought me breakfast, I say you're forgiven.'

Blue Eyes looked back at him then, and gave him a little smile that made Dean's heart leap in his throat.

'I'm glad to hear that. I hope you like bagels,' he said, still smiling, 'I'm Castiel, by the way,' he added extending his right hand, which Dean shook a little dazedly. They stood there, hands connected, staring into each other's eyes for probably longer than the socially acceptable standard. Dean's phone started ringing in his pocket, startling them both, and their hands fell to their respective sides. Dean fished out the phone, glanced at the screen and grimaced.

'I, uh, gotta take this, sorry.'

Castiel nodded, but Dean noticed his face falling a little.

'Of course... Have a good day, Dean,' he said with another smile that caused yet another flip in Dean's stomach.

 

He pressed the call button, watching Cas' back as he walked away, only registering half of the things Sam was telling him (something about Jess wanting to buy a frying pan? Or a pet iguana? It could have been either, really. What was Sam even doing up at this hour, anyway?).

'Uh, Sam,' he stuttered out finally when he saw Cas' back disappear around the corner, 'I gotta go. I'll call you later, man. And buy the pet iguana, it's cool.'

 _'WHAT?_ Have you even listened to a word I sai-', Dean abruptly ended the call and ran down the street, skidding to a halt when he rounded the corner and called out, 'CAS!'

Castiel stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to look at him, startled.

 

Dean jogged up to him, coffee and bagel somehow still clenched safely in his hands.

'Yes, Dean?' Cas prompted, his mouth twitching really hard.

Dean could tell he was trying to keep himself from bursting out laughing, but he didn't even have it in him to feel embarrassed at this point.

'You... uhm, do you happen to have any plans for tonight?' Dean asked, because damn, he had a feeling he wasn't done yet making a fool of himself for this guy. He easily matched Cas' grin, adding, ''cause my pole dancing skills might be a bit rusty, but I could still buy you dinner, you know, if- if you wanted... to do that.'

Castiel broke into a full smile then, white teeth showing, blue eyes crinkling, unfairly gorgeous and certainly not an asshole, and Dean was so _screwed,_ but in the best possible ways.

'I'd like that very much, yes,' Cas said.

 

*****

 

 

And even considering the lack of professional strippers involved, a week later Cas' apartment gets christened pretty thoroughly, all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from this quote:
> 
> “Though Alec had never seen the occupants of the first floor loft, they seemed to be engaged in a tempestuous romance. Once there had been a bunch of someone's belongings strewn all over the landing with a note attached to a jacket lapel addressed to "A lying liar who lies." Right now there was a bouquet of flowers taped to the door with a card tucked among the blooms that read I'M SORRY. That was the thing about New York: you always knew more about your neighbors' business than you wanted to.”
> 
> \- Cassandra Clare, _City of Lost Souls_


End file.
